1 killed, 2 injured as Dixie sheriff forces stolen truck off road

Officials with the Florida Highway Patrol, Dixie County Sheriff's Office and Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigate the scene of a fatal stolen-vehicle crash on U.S .19 near CR 55-A and Cross City Wednesday.

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Using his patrol cruiser as a blocker, Hatcher rammed the speeding pickup, flipping it over. The driver died, and two teenage passengers were injured. Hatcher was unhurt.

Investigators had not revealed the names and addresses of those in the truck by Wednesday night.

At times, the driver of the stolen truck raced pursuers at speeds topping 100 mph while going the wrong way on a highway, authorities said. He spun out at one point then “literally drove over’’ a Marion County Sheriff’s cruiser and kept going, police said.

Ocala Police officials say that around 6:30 a.m., someone went into the Too Your Health Spa at 2841 SW 28th St. and stole the keys to the 2008 black Dodge Ram Diesel 2500.

OPD was notified at approximately 7 a.m. about the theft and immediately put out an alert.

A Marion County sheriff’s deputy spotted the truck in the 3200 block of Northwest 120th Avenue and pursued it.

The truck sped into Levy County, and Williston Police Chief Dennis Strow said officers saw it going north in the southbound lanes of U.S. 27 at a speed of “at least 100 mph.”

Strow said that just before the truck entered the city limits of Williston it crossed over into the proper lanes of travel. It then spun out, he said, while cruisers from his agency, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Levy County Sheriff’s Office tried to block it.

“There was no stopping that truck as it literally drove over a MCSO vehicle and kept moving,” Strow said. There was no reported injury in that crash.

Chiefland Police Chief Robert Douglas said that as the pursuit approached his city, officers put out stop sticks, but the driver went around them.

Douglas said the truck was going more than 100 mph and the driver was “driving crazy,” running red lights and showing no regard for the safety of others.

Chiefland police stayed with the pursuit until it crossed into Dixie County, where Hatcher joined the chase as it wound onto U.S. 19 about 3 miles from Cross City.

Investigators say Hatcher used his department vehicle to force the speeding truck off the roadway, where it overturned in the southbound lanes.

Hatcher was not injured, said Dixie Sheriff’s Maj. Scott Harden. Investigators later said they found a Taurus .380 handgun inside the truck.

According to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokeswoman late Wednesday, the driver died at the scene. The two passengers, a 17-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl, were treated and released. She said the agency was still working to notify the driver’s next of kin and that no names were being released at this time.

Robert Allen, 46, of Cross City, lives less than a quarter mile from the crash site. He said he was inside his house when he heard a “bang.”

“It was rather loud. I could feel it through the ground (the floor of his home), the vibration,” Allen said.

He said he walked out to the road and saw the truck surrounded by numerous vehicles from “all kinds of law enforcement.”

“This individual was a danger to civilians as well as law enforcement officers involved in the chase,” said Marion County Sheriff Chris Blair.

Blair also said that one of the agency’s deputies fired his service weapon at some point during the pursuit, but would not elaborate.

“We are conducting a review into one of our deputies discharging his weapon, in accordance with our policies,” Blair said.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is assisting with the investigation, which is ongoing. The chase involved law enforcement personnel from Marion, Levy, Gilchrist and Dixie counties.

<p>The stolen truck had already roared through three counties Wednesday morning when Dixie County Sheriff Dewey Hatcher decided the chase would end right here, on U.S. 19, outside of Cross City.</p><p>Using his patrol cruiser as a blocker, Hatcher rammed the speeding pickup, flipping it over. The driver died, and two teenage passengers were injured. Hatcher was unhurt.</p><p>Investigators had not revealed the names and addresses of those in the truck by Wednesday night.</p><p>At times, the driver of the stolen truck raced pursuers at speeds topping 100 mph while going the wrong way on a highway, authorities said. He spun out at one point then “literally drove over'' a Marion County Sheriff's cruiser and kept going, police said.</p><p>Ocala Police officials say that around 6:30 a.m., someone went into the Too Your Health Spa at 2841 SW 28th St. and stole the keys to the 2008 black Dodge Ram Diesel 2500.</p><p>OPD was notified at approximately 7 a.m. about the theft and immediately put out an alert.</p><p>A Marion County sheriff's deputy spotted the truck in the 3200 block of Northwest 120th Avenue and pursued it.</p><p>The truck sped into Levy County, and Williston Police Chief Dennis Strow said officers saw it going north in the southbound lanes of U.S. 27 at a speed of “at least 100 mph.”</p><p>Strow said that just before the truck entered the city limits of Williston it crossed over into the proper lanes of travel. It then spun out, he said, while cruisers from his agency, the Marion County Sheriff's Office and Levy County Sheriff's Office tried to block it.</p><p>“There was no stopping that truck as it literally drove over a MCSO vehicle and kept moving,” Strow said. There was no reported injury in that crash.</p><p>Chiefland Police Chief Robert Douglas said that as the pursuit approached his city, officers put out stop sticks, but the driver went around them.</p><p>Douglas said the truck was going more than 100 mph and the driver was “driving crazy,” running red lights and showing no regard for the safety of others.</p><p>Chiefland police stayed with the pursuit until it crossed into Dixie County, where Hatcher joined the chase as it wound onto U.S. 19 about 3 miles from Cross City.</p><p>Investigators say Hatcher used his department vehicle to force the speeding truck off the roadway, where it overturned in the southbound lanes.</p><p>Hatcher was not injured, said Dixie Sheriff's Maj. Scott Harden. Investigators later said they found a Taurus .380 handgun inside the truck.</p><p>According to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokeswoman late Wednesday, the driver died at the scene. The two passengers, a 17-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl, were treated and released. She said the agency was still working to notify the driver's next of kin and that no names were being released at this time.</p><p>Robert Allen, 46, of Cross City, lives less than a quarter mile from the crash site. He said he was inside his house when he heard a “bang.”</p><p>“It was rather loud. I could feel it through the ground (the floor of his home), the vibration,” Allen said.</p><p>He said he walked out to the road and saw the truck surrounded by numerous vehicles from “all kinds of law enforcement.”</p><p>“This individual was a danger to civilians as well as law enforcement officers involved in the chase,” said Marion County Sheriff Chris Blair.</p><p>Blair also said that one of the agency's deputies fired his service weapon at some point during the pursuit, but would not elaborate.</p><p>“We are conducting a review into one of our deputies discharging his weapon, in accordance with our policies,” Blair said.</p><p>The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is assisting with the investigation, which is ongoing. The chase involved law enforcement personnel from Marion, Levy, Gilchrist and Dixie counties.</p><p><i>Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118 or austin.miller@starbanner.com.</i></p>